Chapter 2609 The Choice

Two hours later, Fang Heng and his group rode on three undead Bone Dragons, swiftly flying towards the Icebound Valley.

“The target location for this mission is the Icebound Valley. It is a special area within the death realm, where many soul bodies will gather within the Icebound Valley.”

“Empress Persephone was an exceptional genius. It was said that she discovered the essence of ice within the Icebound Valley, fusing the power of ice crystals with the strength of death.”

“Similarly, the Empress was also an outstanding leader. As the Empress unified the entire death realm, she established the order of the death realm, sending Death Gods to control the loyalty and soul allegiance of various worlds. She rebuilt the Abyss of Despair, significantly enhancing the power of the death realm.”

“But no one expected the Hani Clan to rebel suddenly, and that was when the Disaster struck.”

“An anomaly appeared in the Abyss of Despair, nearly causing its collapse. Empress Persephone consumed vast amounts of her strength in an attempt to restore it. She then fought the queen bug, the mother of the Disaster, in the Abyss of Despair, and both perished in the battle. The death realm fell apart once again.”

“Rumors of the Frozen Land started circulating around that time. Since then, many had ventured there in search of the Empress’s legacy and power, but no one had ever succeeded.”

Kotal looked up into the distance as he spoke, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes, “I hope we can find the Empress’s legacy and strength left behind in the Frozen Land.”

“Currently, the Empress’s mausoleum had been completely destroyed, and another team was sent to explore the ruins. We hoped they might make some discoveries as well.”

“However, I believe we have a better chance of finding clues in the Abyss of Despair.”

“But that place is far too dangerous. The Abyss of Despair is the source of the Disaster, filled with Disaster creatures. We’ve attempted exploration before, but the area was densely populated with these creatures, making it impossible to approach. The chances of surviving a forced entry were too low,” one of the others remarked.

“Fang Heng, for safety’s sake, we must proceed cautiously.”

“Yes, let’s hope we can find some clues in the Icebound Valley.”

Soon, as the two were talking, the Bone Dragons, flying at high speed, entered the domain plagued by Disaster.

Fortunately, the Bone Dragons flew at an extremely high altitude, quickly concealing themselves within the thick gray mist.

With the Bone Dragons’ incredible speed, even if the Disaster creatures below sensed Fang Heng and his group, they wouldn’t be able to catch up in time.

“There’s another more troublesome matter,” Kotal explained. “The Icebound Valley has been completely overtaken by the spread of Disaster. This means we will need to venture deep into the Disaster-infested domain…”.

…

The Bone Dragons maintained high-speed flight for a full three hours.

Through layers of white fog, a snow-covered valley gradually appeared ahead.

The Bone Dragons began to descend slowly.

Looking down, the entire valley had already deepened into the Disaster domain, with visible Nests of Disaster scattered across the ground.

Disaster creatures continuously emerged from the ever-expanding Nests of Disaster.

Kotal’s face grew serious, and he whispered, “We investigated beforehand. The temperature in the Icebound Valley is extremely low, and it is covered by a special force. Once the Disaster creatures spread into the valley, they cannot advance further.”

“So all we need to do is clear the disaster creatures on the outskirts of the canyon. Once we breach the canyon, we can ensure our safety.”

Tigranth and his elite guards carefully observed the Disaster-infested region below through the thick white fog.

“The Abyssal Swamp is located deep within the valley, and the Bone Dragon cannot enter directly. We’ll go down there immediately, and once we’re in, you can head straight into the Icebound Valley. As for these disaster creatures, leave them to me—I’ll buy you some time.”

“Understood.”

Fang Heng listened to Kotal’s translation, nodded, and immediately commanded the Bone Dragon to accelerate downward!

Suddenly, Disaster creatures from the nearby area surged toward the Bone Dragon.

“Whoosh!”

Tigranth’s guard beside him flicked his hand, sending a glowing orb flying through the air toward the distance.

Huh?

Fang Heng’s brows raised.

What was that?

The Disaster creatures, which had originally been gathering around the Bone Dragon, suddenly seemed to sense something and began frantically chasing after the glowing orb instead.

“Fang Heng! Opportunity! Hurry up!”

Kotal called out and, along with the others, quickly leaped off the Bone Dragon’s back, running toward the interior of the Icebound Valley.

Fang Heng immediately followed, jumping down from the Bone Dragon’s spine, and simultaneously performed a reversal summoning to send the Bone Dragon back to Dragon Grave Mountain.

“Thud!”

As soon as Fang Heng landed, a small group of Disaster creatures that hadn’t been drawn to the orb immediately gathered around them.

“Go! Quickly!”

Tigranth shouted loudly, swinging his dark greatsword forward. With a mighty strike, he sent two Disaster creatures flying through the air, knocking them back as they charged at him.

The two guards beside him each threw another orb to the left and right, drawing the surrounding Disaster creatures away as they protected Fang Heng and Kotal, guiding them into the valley.

The Icebound Valley, according to the records of various empires in the death realm, was known as an extremely dangerous area. Its biting cold winds were so intense that they could freeze souls.

Fang Heng ran alongside Kotal, quickly entering the valley. The moment they did, he was struck by a bone-chilling cold that seemed to seep into his very bones.

Within a mere dozen meters from the valley’s entrance, the temperature dropped drastically.

The Disaster creatures seemed unable to withstand the biting cold. After pursuing into the canyon, they quickly scattered moments later.

With the immediate danger momentarily cleared, the group slowed their pace. Under Commander Tigranth’s lead, they began exploring deeper into the Icebound Valley.

Fang Heng, curious, quietly asked, “What were those glowing orbs we saw earlier?”

“It’s a special type of fruit that attracts the attention of disaster creatures. It was discovered accidentally on the battlefield. Its effect doesn’t last long, and it’s quite rare,” Kotal explained.

Fang Heng nodded in understanding. He was already thinking of collecting some to take back for Qiu Yaokang to research—perhaps they could even mix something explosive into the fruit and see what happened.

“By the way, has no one ever ventured into the Icebound Valley for exploration before?” Fang Heng asked.

“Some have,” Kotal replied. “Especially during the time when the rumors first spread.”

Kotal continued, “Also, the Icebound Valley used to be known as a place of trial by our Dark Clan. The deeper you go, the stronger the cold aura becomes. Few people have the strength to reach the true depths of the valley. After the Empress passed away, the cold energy in the Icebound Valley grew even stronger. Now, there are even fewer Dark Clan members with the power to enter the sealed areas.”

“Aside from the Empress, no one has ever gained power from the Icebound Valley,” Kotal added. “Over time, the valley became less of a place people sought out, and fewer Dark Clan members came here to suffer.”

As they spoke, the group had already passed through a section of the canyon entrance, officially entering the interior of the Icebound Valley.

The surrounding cliffs were thickly covered in ice crystals, exuding a sharp, biting cold. At first glance, it looked more like a world entirely constructed from ice—an eerie, frozen realm.